LA Fire: Elon Musk Offers Starlink Terminals to Areas Affected by Blaze [Video]

As Los Angeles is scorched by the intense flames of several wildfires, destroying thousands of homes and having already claimed five lives, cell service has reportedly dropped out across much of the city.

As a result, TV crews are using SpaceX‘s Starlink to broadcast their coverage of the fire, according a live news report from FOX11, with Elon Musk having now announced that Starlink terminals will be provided to areas of LA with no service.

“SpaceX will provide free Starlink terminals to affected areas in LA tomorrow morning,” Musk posted on X last night.

Wildfires can destroy cell towers, power lines and other critical communication infrastructure, which can cause service outages.

Additionally, during emergencies like wildfires, surging usage as people phone for help or call to check on loved ones can overload networks, causing slower speeds or dropped connections.